The Sitters
by lilpurplebird
Summary: Baby-sitting is not one of Mewtwo's strong points.


You figure with how many words there are in this one-shot, it could've been used instead to fill up a chapter.

Anyway, hope it's not too bad. It's pretty self-explanatory, no need for an introduction here.

Enjoy!

* * *

_Breathe in._

_Breathe out._

Mew repeated this to herself for a few moments while her hand was on the doorknob. She didn't know exactly how one could be excited yet nervous at the same time, it seemed almost improbable; it wasn't even half-and-half. But as she reviewed in her head what she was going to tell him, her stomach started to twist.

_He'd let me go anyway, I've done it before... just not as long._

After one last breathing cycle, she entered the house, gently closing the door behind her. "I'm home, Mewtwo," she barely managed to call out, frowning at how quiet she had suddenly gotten.

There was a small clatter from the kitchen area, and her mate appeared shortly after at the hallway entrance. "_Welcome back, dear,_" he greeted with a smile. "_That was quick, I did not expect you for another hour._"

An amused smirk quirked at her lips. "Are you planning something again?"

"_Not until next week._"

She giggled. "Well, I have some news, Mewtwo."

Mew noticed his violet eyes lighting up. "_Is it good news?_" He was becoming breathless, she could just see his chest tensing.

With a nod of a head, she announced, "Wigglytuff asked me to watch the kids again."

Mewtwo abruptly snorted out a chuckle, his shoulders relaxing. "_Oh, is that all?_"

The feline rubbed the back of her head. "It's a little different this time around. Um... yeah, she and her mate are going on vacation."

"_I see._" He was unfazed by it, Mew had seen it coming from the beginning.

At least once a week, she baby-sat the neighborhood kids to the point she became the go-to person. She never minded it, she found joy in taking care of them for a few hours. It was the obvious reasoning behind it that made her wonder at times if everyone was taking advantage of her, or felt sorry for her. Still, she came to accept it, since being childless and having lots of free time became dull after a while. Mewtwo was always happy to let her go—anything to stop him from telling her to go out and entertain herself.

Mew took in a long breath. "Well... here's the kicker." She fiddled with her fingers for a brief moment. "They'll be gone for about a week."

He folded his arms, leaning against the entranceway. "_Are you saying the children are coming over here?_"

"No, I'm going over to their house since poor little Iggly is sick. She has a guest room I'm staying in."

His eyes softened into a thoughtful expression, his tail curling behind him. "_So... you are taking care of the children for a week,_" he reviewed, "_and are staying at their house. Meanwhile, I am remaining behind to watch the house and to perhaps go do my own thing._"

She half-shrugged. "Pretty much."

"_And you are also going to be alone,_" he added. "_If someone were to come on by and infiltrate the house, would you be able to protect yourself and the children?_"

Mew tilted her head. "The chances of that are low at the most, but yes, I can do that." She spread out her arms. "You know me, Mewtwo. I grew up in a jungle, I know how to take care of myself."

He let out a brief sigh. "_True..._"

She floated up to him, placing her hands on his shoulders. "Don't worry about me, dear. I'll be fine by myself." A brow slightly rose in a tease. "It's _you_ I'm more worried about."

Mewtwo shook his head with a chuckle, clasping his hands behind her back. "_I promise you nothing will go wrong in this house during your absence._"

Smiling, Mew gently kissed his jaw. "I know. You haven't yet thrown a huge party with the guys since we moved here, so I trust you wouldn't have planned that out."

"_Wish I could say the same for you._"

She playfully hit him. "You're just asking for it, you know."

Irises sparkling, the clone briefly snagged her lips. Her heart fluttered from the hint of passion, her paws squeezing his shoulders as she sharply inhaled. With a breath of his own, he cupped her head and dipped in to harden the kiss. She trembled when his tail wrapped around to loop with hers and stroke the bulb. It was a silent, personal gesture she came to know all too well.

"Mmm... Mewtwo, we can't do it tonight," she murmured against his mouth, then pulled away with a sigh, caressing his cheek. "I have to pack, and I need to get up early. After dinner and a bath, there's no time for even a quick one. Sorry." She nuzzled him in apology.

He nodded in understanding, withdrawing his tail. "_We can still cuddle at least._"

"Deal."

"_But only if I can come along._"

"Alri—" Mew blinked up at his solemn expression. "Pardon?"

Mewtwo averted his eyes for a bit. "_Okay, I will not make you agree to that to get your snuggling, but I do mean it._"

She backed up a little, brows furrowing in anxiety. "You sure, Mewtwo? This is going to be a good whole week. And do you even know _how_ to care for children?"

"_I am a fast learner._"

She shook her head. "It's not that simple, Mewtwo. I learn quickly myself, but I _still_ struggle from time to time. There are times I forget to give the kids a bath, or feed them at the correct time until I remember or they remind me. Depending on the number of children, I sometimes accidentally leave one or two out—especially if they're running all over the place—I have to deal with those who refuse to go to bed—"

"_Well, there is only one of you. If you had extra help, it would ease some burdens off your shoulders._"

"Wigglytuff's children are more well-behaved than others, but they still have their moments."

He placed a hand on her head in assurance. "_Please let me help, Mew. If I am not wanted from the start, or you are very sure you can care for them, then I will come back home._"

Mew kept eye-contact, studying his face. A thought in the back of her mind pointed out what looked to be worry, while a fainter one said it was of hurt, but she ignored them. His sincerity won her over, bringing her to nod. "But only if you promise to do your share."

He planted a kiss to her forehead in response. "_I promise._"

* * *

"Cover your mouth when you yawn, Mewtwo."

He gave her a bleary-eyed stare. "_There is no one out here, you know,_" he muttered, almost grumpily as he trudged down the path.

"Either way, you could rival a Snorlax." She sighed, looking over at the house before them. "I bet they can hear you coming."

"_Very funny._" He peeked once more into the single duffel bag telekinetically raised to eye-level. "_You sure we are not forgetting anything?_"

Mew leered over at him. "I told you, we won't be needing much. Everything's already provided for us." She grabbed his arm and pulled him along. "This attitude of yours just proves to me you need to break your nocturnal habits like you should have years ago."

"_I do not have an attitude,_" he snapped, rubbing at his eyes.

"You're only proving my point further." She released him a few feet away from the door and spun around to face him. "Now chin up, Mewtwo. You want to stay with me this whole week, you need to change your attitude. The kids wake up at around seven, but we have to get up an hour earlier to get ready, and make breakfast. One of the ways to win a child's heart is to feed them."

"_Sounds like you in the mornings._"

She scowled, knocking on the door. "You're a brat, Mewtwo."

"_I am most certainly not!_"

They composed themselves when a child yelled that someone was at the door; Mew smiled while Mewtwo thought it was a rude thing to say. Moments later, the door was opened by a plump Wigglytuff, whose smile was wide enough to fill up her face as she hugged the feline. "`Morning, Mew! Glad you could make it!"

"Same here, Wigs."

Wigglytuff glanced behind her to notice Mewtwo. "Oh, you brought your mate over. Did you threaten him or something?"

Mew giggled at the sly grin. "No, he came on his own accord. He had to sacrifice a few things so we could be here. Like sleep, for instance." Her counterpart shrugged almost indifferently while he stifled a yawn.

"My own mate could hardly sleep last night, he was excited about today." The rabbit sighed, smoothing one of her ears back. "Something tells me he won't be sleeping a lot this week."

"Mama-a-a, Iggly threw up again!" came the squeal of one of the children from inside.

Swerving her head back, she gestured the couple in before calmly hopping over to the table where the baby sat in his high chair. Mewtwo had to duck walking in, then frowned at the low ceiling. "_Great. I barely fit,_" he sighed to himself, setting down the bag.

Mew looked up with concern. "Sorry, forgot to tell you about that."

He waved it off. "_It is just for a week, I can handle it._" A tug on his tail brought his attention to one of Wigglytuff's children, a young Jigglypuff whose bright blue eyes blinked in awe up at him.

"You're ta-a-all," the child gasped.

Mewtwo guessed this young one was a boy, finding it confirmed when he glanced over to another of the brood (who was happily greeting Mew) to find a small bow in the curls. He brought himself to grin down at him. "_Indeed I am. It was how I was m... born._" At the corner of his eye, he noticed his mate winced a little at how he barely got the word out.

"Gee, I wish I could be tall," the boy said, pudgy hands curling into determined fists.

"_Eat your vegetables._"

He slumped. "Everyone keeps telling me that!"

Wigglytuff came in with the baby in hand to just catch wind of what he said, and let out a hearty laugh. "Oh, you two are bonding already!" she exclaimed, a twinkle in her eye. "You must be a natural!"

Mewtwo glimpsed over at his counterpart, rubbing the back of his neck. "_Not... really._"

Mew floated over to her friend, gazing into the infant's pink face. "Poor Iggly," she cooed, brushing his sticky curls. "Is your tummy hurting?"

"Yeah, he may have caught the stomach flu or something." Carefully, after giving the baby a kiss on the forehead, she passed him to the feline. Mewtwo noted with amusement how the child was nearly as big as her, yet she managed to hold him fine. Wigglytuff caught sight of his look and smirked. "Thinking about something there?"

He shook his head, though when she pursed her lips in suspicion, his insides chilled. With a small shrug, she turned back to Mew. "So I don't have to go through anything with you?"

"I've baby-sat your kids before, Wigs. I know where everything is, and what time the kids have to be in bed."

"That was always for one night. You and Mewtwo are going to be here for an entire week, so that means you'll have to be in charge with baths and play-dates and all that."

She smiled awkwardly. "You got me there."

Wigglytuff nodded in understanding. "Alright, the next couple of days are like any normal day when it comes to watching the kids. Wednesday at nine, Jig's play-date is coming over, and she'll be here through lunch. They come in and out, and they are good at staying close to the house, but Missy is a bit of a trouble-maker, so you gotta—"

Mewtwo got distracted when the boy tugged on his tail again. "What's that behind you?"

He gingerly touched his cord and, when the Jigglypuff nodded, replied, "_It is a flexible organ that helps balance out the flow of blood cells to-and-fro my brain stem and spinal cord whenever I get a surge of energy._"

He stared at him. "What?"

_Need to simplify it, he is only a child. _"_It keeps me conscious every time I use a powerful attack._"

He blinked. "Looks funny."

"—friends into softball, and they like to try and play it in the house—"

"_I hardly ever notice it._"

"Duh, it's behind your head. If it was on your forehead, you'd notice."

"—they have swimming lessons this Friday at—"

The boy tugged his tail once more. "Want to see something weird?"

"_I do not mean to be rude, but I have to listen to your mother for a moment,_" he told the child, prying away his appendage and keeping it curled behind him.

"Honey, you got the bags?" a voice called from behind, sounding like it came from around the corner.

"Yes, dear! Iggly's medicine is in the top—"

"Has the baby-sitter come yet?"

"They're out here!—you must shake it before you give it to him. There should be enough to last the week—"

"I can float through your cord thingy easily."

"Not if I do it first!" The daughter came up to the boy, barely giving Mewtwo a passing glance.

"Nuh uh!"

"Yeah huh!"

"Oh hey, Mewtwo, long time no see! What's the matter?"

The clamor stopped as nearly everyone looked over at the bipedal feline. Mew's brows furrowed in worry as she leaned in. "You okay?"

He frowned and massaged a temple, regaining his balance when he realized he was leaning. "_I am fine. Carry on._"

"I just finished," Wigglytuff said, leaning her face on a hand. "But no matter, I did leave written instructions."

"Oh yeah, Mama, I drew you a picture!" The daughter ran into the kitchen for a split second before returning, waving a piece of paper around. She handed it to her mother whom, while she smiled and laughed at her child's gift, had a hint of disappointment on her face.

"Well... I _did_."

"Don't worry, Mewtwo, I know what to do," Mew assured him, adjusting the Igglybuff on her arm. "Oh, yeah, where's the guest room?"

"It's at the end of the hall. It's prepared for you and everything." She winked, bringing a flush to the couple's faces. "Well, we're going. You kids be good for Mew and Mewtwo, okay?"

"Yes, Mama!" they cried in unison, then ran up to give her and their father hugs and kisses. "Bye, Papa!"

"Bye-bye, kids!" He nodded at Mewtwo. "Thank you for coming to support your mate."

He raised a hand. "_Not a problem. I was happy to volunteer._"

"I didn't trust him home alone," Mew joked, sticking her tongue out at her mate with a wink.

The two laughed, waved once more, and left the house. The children remained in the doorway to call out more good-byes until their parents were out of sight. Closing the door, Mew turned to them with a sigh. "All right, kids. Did you just eat breakfast?"

"Jig didn't," the boy said, bumping into his sister.

"Lyle's _ly_-ying!" she shouted, but shuffled to the kitchen anyway with him on her heels.

Mewtwo watched them go with folded arms. "_Are they always like this?_" he asked.

"They're not bad. They're usually a little more wriggly." His mate held the Igglybuff up above her. "Isn't that right, Iggly?" The baby whimpered a little, flapping his arms. Her bottom lip stuck out as her brows furrowed, and she cuddled him closer to rock him. "Poor baby..."

There was scuffling in the kitchen, followed by grunts and cries of the two siblings. Mew gave Mewtwo a knowing glance and hurried into the next room. "What are you doing?"

"Lyle's taking all of the syrup!" Jig tattled, a whine in her voice.

"Am not! Look at her plate!"

"You two have enough as it is, you're going to make yourselves sticky."

The clone, unsure what he was supposed to do, looked around the room for a good long moment, noticing for the first time the amount of children's toys that were scattered across the floor, and the furniture (which he realized looked to be a little too small and narrow for him). He contemplated levitating off the ground until he remembered the low ceiling. He sighed to himself. _I know for a fact our children will be cleaner than this._

There was a quick, tiny belch, and the children screamed out in disgust, running into the main room and past him. "Mewtwo, come clean this up for me, please!" Mew called. She rushed by the entrance with the baby held out before her, the kitchen faucet immediately turning on.

He hesitantly obliged. _I wonder if this counts as jinxing myself._

* * *

The rest of the day went smoothly despite the frequent moments when the sick baby threw up. The two Jigglypuff children were fairly interested in Mewtwo, occasionally climbing up over him and asking him numerous questions about "What does this do?" to "Why do you look funny?" (While he had his limits with it all and was getting a headache, Mew specifically told him not to be harsh with them.) They chose to stay inside and play various games, the kids' constant laughter ringing in his ears during those couple of hours. Lunch was simple, since the children only demanded sandwiches, but their appetites grew when dinner came around.

"I want s'ghetti, s'ghetti, s'ghetti!" Jig exclaimed, bouncing in place.

"No-_o-o_, we have that every week!" Lyle complained.

"I'm not fixing two different meals," Mew said, floating before the stove. "You two need to decide on what you want to eat, or I'm fixing something different entirely."

"_I would like a casserole, dear,_" Mewtwo smirked from the back, the baby leaning over the crook of his arm.

She raised a brow at him before turning back to the children. The boy narrowed his eyes at his sister before rolling them. "Fine, spaghetti." Iggly babbled right afterward like he was in favor.

"Three against one," she announced. "And since I would like a pasta dinner myself, that's four against one."

Jig laughed and clapped her hands. "We win, we win!"

Smiling and tying on the apron she brought along, Mew quickly found and telekinetically drew out a pot, much to the amazement of the two Jigglypuff. "You kids go play for a little bit. I'll call you when it's ready."

The girl shook her head. "I wanna see you move more things without touching them!" she gasped.

The feline giggled. "You've seen me do it before."

"Nuh uh, not something big as this."

"When it comes to dinners like this, it's only during the beginning until I grab the utensils."

Mewtwo held back a joking statement.

The baby then vomited, making the children scream for the umpteenth time as they ran out of the room. The clone stood up with a groan, staring in disgust at sick dripping off his arm. "Go to the restroom, I'll take care of this," his mate said, handing him a washcloth and shooing him out of the kitchen.

He hurried into the bathroom (dashing his forehead against the frame doing so) just to realize there wasn't a tub in there before tossing him into the sink, where he turned a knob and started to clean him off. Iggly fussed under the washing and cold water, crying all the meanwhile. It added to Mewtwo's throbbing headache to where he had to watch himself to keep from strangling the child. The clone wasn't sure how much soap to use, but he went ahead to soak up the washcloth with the suds. It was more work to keep from getting it in his eyes and mouth.

"_Stop squirming, you are making this harder on yourself and I,_" he grumbled. He accidentally roughened the scrubs, making the infant squeal out louder. He flinched, pausing to wait for a bruise to form. _Damn, an Igglybuff's skin is softer than normal. I need to slow down here._

Iggly sniffled, peering up at him with wide, teary eyes. It softened his heart, bringing him to feel sorry for the little Pokémon. "_I apologize,_" he murmured. "_It is not fun to get sick, even when you have someone waiting on you hand and foot._"

He wriggled and reached up for him, which brought a smile to Mewtwo's face. His headache dulling, he picked up the infant to hold him to eye-level.

His hands slipped on the suds half-way up. He let out a swear when the baby landed on the countertop with his bottom—

—and he watched in surprise as Iggly bounced at an angle.

Mewtwo backed into the doorway, trying to keep up with the ricocheting Igglybuff and worrying he was going to break something. He made failed attempts at snatching him, glancing back and forth between the hall and bathroom in case Mew was coming to check up on them. During one such round, he spotted the young Jigglypuff peeping from behind their doors.

"Oo-o-o-oh, you said a bad word," came Jig's voice.

"Forget that, he dropped Iggly," Lyle pointed out.

"_Kids, come help—_" He was smacked in the side of the face, and once he caught himself, he watched the baby bounce out of the bathroom and down the hall. He scrambled after, scarcely catching him only for the child to tilt off his fingers to the floor and out into the main room. Biting back a yell of frustration, Mewtwo pounced, barely avoiding smacking his head against the floor. Once again, he got up and leaped for Igglybuff, snatching him in mid-air, but landing hard on his stomach doing so. The baby giggled in delight, not an inch of him bruised or cut.

"You okay, sweetheart?"

He lifted his head to meet Mew's gaze, a ladle in her hands. A chuckle escaped his chest. "_Yeah... just a slip-up,_" he fibbed.

The two older children hopped onto his back as they laughed. "He caught Iggly, he caught Iggly!" they chanted. ("He also said a bad word," Jig added, pointing down at him.)

She just shook her head with a smile in response.

Igglybuff burped.

* * *

Long after the successful dinner and another round of board games, it was soon quiet in the house the moment the children were sent to bed, and Mew rocked Igglybuff to sleep. The couple stood out in the hallway for a few minutes, staring at the finger-painted bedroom door of Jig's, and feeling a sense of exhaustion falling over them.

"_So, this is baby-sitting,_" Mewtwo muttered, cricking his neck.

"It's really not that bad," she told him, though she sighed a little. "Today wasn't too different, it was just a little longer than normal."

He shrugged. "_If you say so._"

"I know so." She hooked her arm around his and rested her head against his shoulder. "Today was a good day."

"_Five more days to go,_" he breathed out, shifting in place.

Mew glanced up. "What was that?"

"_Nothing._" Mewtwo grasped her paw and pulled her along down the hall to the guest bedroom. His hand on the knob, he gazed down at her, heart leaping at the smile in her sky-blue eyes. "_Have you seen the room yet, by the way?_"

"Not really."

With a nod, he opened the door and gestured her inside. There was nothing fancy about the place, not that she looked forward to a nice bedroom to begin with. It was moderately-sized with a queen-sized bed facing the window, furniture adjacent to the wall that included a small bookshelf, drawers and a desk, a rocking chair, a mirror, and a closet with sliding doors. It was average overall, none of them would dare complain.

The tiny feline went over to fix the dark curtains, glancing outside to look for the moon. "Aww, it's cloudy tonight."

After closing the door, Mewtwo strolled over to stand behind her, slyly wrapping his arms around her waist. "_It does not matter. I practically have you memorized._"

She let out a breath, leaning back into him. "Mewtwo... you're not thinking of...?"

"_I am still a little energized from the day._" He tenderly kissed her neck, nipping the skin.

Mew bit her lip. "But we're under a different roof... and in a different room."

"_I do not believe it matters. I hear stories all the time of couples making love in homes not their own._"

"Yeah, but... I don't know how thin the walls are, and if the kids can hear us."

Mewtwo slid his hands to her shoulders, massaging the back with his thumbs. "_We can temporarily make a sound-proof barrier._"

She gave him a look. "We tried that once, remember? It didn't work."

It took him a moment to recall such an embarrassing night. The idea soon fizzled out. "_You got me there,_" he groaned.

Wriggling out of his hold, she stretched and moved to sit on the bed. She glanced down upon pushing on the mattress, then looked back up. "But if you're still willing, Mewtwo, we can just have what the kids these days call a 'make-out' session." Mew tilted her head back and forth. "Think that's just another term for kissing. No harm in that, I suppose."

He snickered a little, turning around to face her. "_We shall oblige, then._" With a sultry growl, he advanced and crawled on the bed, claiming her lips in the process.

She broke away to scoot up to the pillows, licking her bottom lip in anticipation. The clone followed suit, pulling her close while he kissed her fully. She let out a small moan from the passion, wrapping her arms around his neck and leading him down with her to sink into the cushions. There came a crinkle of paper from the back of her head, forcing her to shoot up. She and Mewtwo blinked down at the words until she smoothed it out.

_Don't you two do what I know you're going to do._

– _Wigglytuff_

They felt their faces fall, though Mew recovered faster. "I thought so," she huffed, dropping her shoulders.

"_Odd how I did not see it when I first came in._" He readjusted himself around to sit on the edge. "_So much for tonight..._"

She sighed again, scratching at an ear. She glanced over to the door to notice the bag was resting by it, as set there by Mewtwo shortly after breakfast. "Guess we'll unpack and head into bed, then."

Somewhere beyond the door, they could just barely hear muffled arguing, and what sounded like a cry being smothered. Concerned, Mew opened it to find the children mouthing each other off, both carrying a fussy Iggly by the hands and feet out into the hallway, Lyle covering his mouth with a grimace. "What are you kids doing?" she gasped, flying to their side.

The two startled Jigglypuff nearly dropped their brother. Looking back and forth between one another, Lyle muttered, "Gonna clean up Iggly. He threw up again."

"I saw your door was closed, so we decided to go ahead and take care of him," Jig came in, looking guilty.

Swiping her hand along her head, Mew quietly moaned, taking the baby into her arms and patting his back. "You could've knocked."

"I thought you two needed 'prevessy'. Mama and Papa always keeps their door open unless they need their 'prevessy'."

"It's '_pri_vacy', Jig," her brother corrected, rolling his eyes while nodding.

With a small frown, the feline looked over her shoulder at Mewtwo, whom remained in the doorway. Mouthing to him a "sorry", she shooed the children back into the room before heading for the restroom. The clone let out a slow sigh, his shoulders slacking.

_Five more days to go..._

* * *

"That's _my_ plate you're using!"

"I used this yesterday, and you didn't say anything!"

"That's `cause you tricked me!"

"Did not!"

"Sit down and eat!" Mew ordered, snapping her fingers at them.

"But he's using my plate!" Jig whined, pointing accusingly at her brother.

"Whether it's your plate or not, knock it off and eat your breakfast!"

Mewtwo didn't want to get involved as he stared blankly at his food to avoid everyone's gazes. He swallowed down a yawn building in his throat, trying to hide the signs he was tired. Mentally, he cursed the mattress for being hard, and Iggly's sickness and crying that kept him up that night. While knowing Mew had stayed with the baby and was thus more tired and testy than him, it only added to his discomfort. Nothing was going right, even though he willingly agreed to it.

Iggly fretted in his high chair, barely able to be spoon-fed without everything spilling. "Iggly, _please_ eat," the feline moaned, on the brink of pleading. "I know your tummy hurts, but you need other things besides the medicine."

"He-e-ey, you took all of the milk!"

"There was only enough for one more person anyway," Lyle gruffly muttered, quickly gulping it down.

"But I didn't get to drink it yet!"

"I am _this close_ to spanking you, Jig, now suck it up and deal with it!"

The children hurriedly returned to their food, Jig getting teary-eyed at Mew's reprimand. Even Mewtwo had flinched at her harsh tone, temporarily jolting him out of his tired state until his heart calmed down. He dared to glance over, slowly letting out a breath when she returned to attempt feeding Iggly (though still with a scowl on her face), and felt himself beginning to drift off again.

The next thing he knew, the rest of the morning had moved on quietly, and he was sitting in the front room, squeezed into one of the chairs. In the one rocking chair was his mate, patting the baby on the back while she stared at the ceiling. He blinked in question at what happened, but waved it off, not wanting to dwell on it any further.

He turned his attention to the two siblings sitting in the middle of the room, quietly playing one of the board games. He thought it was odd they hardly said a word until he noticed them nervously glimpsing back and forth between the board and Mew. Shrugging it off, he reclined back into the chair, crossed his arms, and closed his eyes.

"Honey, can you take care of lunch, possibly even dinner today?" he heard her murmur. He cracked open an eye to look at her, finding her still in place. She leaned her head against the Igglybuff. "I don't think Iggly will let me go."

Mewtwo, while tempted to make a sound of objection, chose to smile. "_Sure thing, dear._"

As he forced himself to wake up, she gradually fell asleep.

* * *

True to his word, Mewtwo ended up taking care of Iggly while his mate rested, though it wasn't much as he was sleeping most of the afternoon. The children helped on request when needed, such as showing him where the medicine was and how to administer it. He eventually he let them go when the baby didn't throw up his lunch, which he considered an improvement. He tried to sneak a wink's worth of sleep himself, but the constant arguments Jig and Lyle had kept him running back and forth between rooms to the point he gave up.

Mew wouldn't awaken until it was dinner when Mewtwo came in to fetch her, and then she scolded him for keeping Iggly on his stomach. ("_Well, how __**else**__ was he supposed to sleep?_" he asked in a matter-of-fact tone.) As she regained alertness, she was pleased with the infant's recovery. It was apparent on her face she was looking forward to returning to her sleeping schedule.

"Oh yeah, are we taking baths tonight?" Jig brought up at the dinner table when everyone was finishing up their casserole.

It was as though a memory replayed through her mind to the point Mew nodded along. "I believe so. Even if it wasn't, you have a play-date tomorrow, so it makes sense for you to be clean."

"We still taking baths together?"

Lyle nearly banged his head on the table. "I don't want to take a bath with her!" he pouted with a leer. "Don't make me!"

"Well, if you two are going to take separate baths, we'll set a time limit for the both of you."

"Jig takes too long anyway."

"That's because Mama takes baths with me!" She stuck her tongue out at her brother. "I play with Iggly anyway."

Mewtwo looked over at Mew, brows raised. "_Is that what you want to do?_"

She smiled, cleaning off the Igglybuff. "I see no harm in it. Might give me experience for the future."

"I still don't want to take a bath with Jig."

"We heard you, Lyle."

"Missus Mew and I wanna go first!" Jig piped up, raising her hand as high as it could go. "Lyle went first last time!"

The clone stood up with a stretch and collected the dirty dishes. "_I am staying out of it, then? I thought you want to be tall, Lyle,_" he addressed to the side, gesturing to the peas littering the boy's plate.

"I don't like peas..."

"I like peas!" his sister exclaimed, sticking her tongue out at him.

"_You are still wasting food being picky like that._"

Mew laughed a little, pulling Iggly out of his high chair. "I may need extra hands, so you can stay close by," she answered her mate. "And leave him be, he at least ate everything else."

The young Jigglypuff bounced out of her chair, giggling with excitement. "I'm gonna start it!" She dashed out of the room before anyone could stop her. Hugging the baby close and shooting a look of apology, Mew hurried after, leaving Mewtwo and Lyle to clear the table.

The boy started grumbling to himself. "I don't wanna take baths, Jig keeps splashing me, and sitting in Mama's lap with Iggly."

"_Did your parents ever teach you to share?_"

"They did, but I don't like sharing baths."

Taking in his slouched stance, the psycat had an inkling of where he was going with it. "_What is your age, by the way?_"

"I turned eight a few months ago."

He nodded in thought. "_You are a growing boy, thus you need your room._"

Lyle handed Mewtwo the two dishes he was carrying, avoiding the clone's gaze. "Yeah, well... Jig keeps splashing a lot. I don't mind Iggly _too_ much, but Mama's always with him."

The bipedal feline placed them in the sink, then began debating with himself whether to start washing them or not. "_Do you care for your siblings?_"

The Jigglypuff remained silent and shuffled his foot around awkwardly. To Mewtwo, it looked like he was deciding on an answer, or was at least wanting to avoid it. "_I see,_" he whispered, unsure what to say.

"No, 's not that," he sighed. "But, uh... do you have brothers or sisters?"

His heart was pricked on the innocent question, causing him to turn away and think on his response. "_...No. As far as I know, I am an only child, there is no other. I do consider some Pokémon to be __**like**__ my brethren, however._"

"And do you care for them?"

Mewtwo nodded, taking a breath. "_I do. I am... the eldest, you could say. Thus I feel it is my personal duty to protect and watch over them. But..._" He lightly chewed on his inner lip. "_...I had to let them go to live as individuals. Do I still worry for them? Yes. We may not see each other a lot anymore, but I still care for them. You do not know how lucky you are to live with your siblings, Lyle. You should cherish them while you still can._"

He looked back at the boy, trying to hold back a smile at his confused expression. "You say weird things," he plainly said. "But it makes sense... I guess."

He placed a hand on his head, slightly ruffling his curl. "_Well... I am going to join Mew. What do you wish to do?_"

Lyle shrugged. "I'll go in my room. Let me know when they're done."

"_I shall._"

After a moment of staring, the Jigglypuff turned and left the kitchen. Mewtwo watched him disappear around the corner, he fell into a sad mood. Leaving the dishes where they were, he hunted for the bath, finding it next door to the restroom. The door that led to the basin was ajar a little in invitation, Jig's squeals of happiness emitting from within. "_Mew, I am coming in,_" he announced before entering.

Mew, sitting on a stool closest to the tub with Iggly in her lap, smiled up at him. She glanced behind him for a second. "So Lyle said 'no', I take it."

He shook his head. "_He will take it later. I made sure he went to his room—he agreed to,_" he emphasized when she gave him a questioning look.

"Does Mister Mewtwo have to come in?" Jig inquired, her lip sticking out a little.

"_I am just helping supervise is all._"

"Did you wash the dishes?"

"_No._"

His mate sighed at the blunt answer. "Whatever. We're having dessert anyway, so might as well do it all at once." She lifted the infant up and slowly lowered him into the tub. He whimpered and squirmed at the temperature, kicking his feet hard enough to splash his sister and Mew. "You're a stubborn little thing!" she tsked with a laugh.

"Mama scrubs him anyway," Jig said, twirling in a small circle.

"Where's the sponge?"

Mewtwo spotted it on the nearby shelf and walked over to grab it. Stepping on a wet spot, he slipped and quickly caught himself, levitating for a few moments until he lowered himself to the floor. Brushing along his shoulders and legs, he picked up the sponge and handed it to his mate like nothing happened.

"I saw that, you know," Mew told him, taking the item and scrubbed the soap in it. Jig laughed and clapped as she nodded energetically.

He slumped down on a stool propped against the wall. "_So much for my reputation._"

"Like you had one." She winked at him, then gasped at a prod against her chest. They looked down at Iggly as he smothered his face into her fur. "Ah... I-Iggly! What are you doing?"

"_Does he think you are lactating?_" her mate wondered, leaning in for a better look.

"I'm not! I-I don't think I am... I mean, I was never pregnant, so..." Mew struggled to string her words together, tensing when the Igglybuff found what he was looking for. As a shiver ran through her body, she found herself giggling. "That tickles! Iggly, I don't have any milk for you!"

Jig tilted her head in confusion. "I thought only Mama can feed him."

"You're right, Jig!" She laughed, rubbing her head with one hand while the other fluffed up the baby's curl. "Your mother can feed Iggly, but I can't. That's why she had milk available since she isn't here right now." With a small sigh, the feline gazed dreamily down at the suckling infant. "It's... a strange sensation."

The clone heard a desire in her voice that warmed his heart, yet placed a heavy burden on it all the same. The longer he watched, the more it burned in a negative way.

_Are we even ready?_

* * *

Breakfast the following morning scarcely finished before there was a knock on the door. Rubbing her eyes for the umpteenth time that morning, Mew opened it to catch a young Misdreavus' gaze. "Oh... is that you, Missy?" she asked while blinking.

She nodded a little shyly, tilting her head up at her mother. "Mew, I didn't expect you here today!"

"You didn't? I thought Wigglytuff told you?"

The edges of the Mismagius' dress ruffled. "I do recall her saying she was going out of town, but she said the play-date would still be as planned. I don't remember if she said who was sitting. Oh," she looked down when her daughter tugged on her, "bye-bye honey, have fun. Be good to Mew today."

Mew stepped aside a little to let the young ghost slip on by, quickly catching a yawn. "I see."

Mismagius threw her head back a little to briefly get the rim out of her way. "You didn't sleep well last night."

The feline didn't bother covering it up, knowing it was pointless to wave it off in front of the specter. "Yeah, well... the kids wanted to stay up longer when we said 'no'. Then at around... one or so, Iggly developed a fever, so I stayed up with him again."

The witch was nodding the whole time. "Oh, sorry to hear that. You'll get used to it."

Her stare hardened a little. "Get used to what?"

"Well, how long are you baby-sitting?"

"This is our third day. Wigs is supposed to return by Sunday."

Mismagius glanced away in embarrassment. "Sorry about that... again."

Mew refused to look away even when she heard a scuffle behind her. While she never found her bad as a neighbor, her reputation as a gossiper had gotten her to develop a bad habit of speaking without thinking. "What did you mean by 'get used to it', anyway?"

"I-I had that impression that either Iggly was going to be sick all week, or you were going to baby-sit all month. Or both." She recoiled a little from the glower. "I know you've baby-sat before, but it was always for a few hours. But I'm not sure if you realize that Wigglytuff's children have a tendency of staying up late into the night and sometimes getting rowdy."

"I've been discovering that lately," she grumbled, her tail flicking in annoyance.

Mismagius didn't seem to notice. "And of course, I thought that since you and Mewtwo had gotten into that habit of having sex once a week, your sleeping habits would become more tolerable with other people's sleeping habits. Or is it the other way around?"

"I never said anything to you about what goes on at home."

"No, but your next-door neighbors have."

Mew's face flushed a dark red, her hands quickly clutching at her ears. "_Are you serious?_" she seethed out through her teeth. "When was this?"

"A while back."

She nearly reached out to grab Mismagius by the shoulders, then remembered she didn't have any. "Marjorie, did you tell anyone else?" she squealed, calling her by her given name. Her gut twisted when the ghost glanced up at the sky with a thoughtful expression. "N-Never mind, forget I said anything!"

"I don't know why you're so embarrassed about it, Mew. If anything, you should be grateful you two are very close. Being a single parent, you have no idea how many nights go by where I start having withdrawals."

"Damn it, Marjorie, I don't want to know what you do in your spare time," Mew hissed. "Just because your mate was a jerk doesn't mean you should feel bad about it."

"Well, I need to find a father for Missy either way." She let out a quick sigh. "Anyway, I'll let you go. I'll come pick her up around three." Flapping one of the longer tassels in a wave, she wrapped herself up in her cloak and vanished.

Rubbing a temple, the rosy feline moaned and closed the door. Turning around, she jolted upon noticing Jig and Missy standing behind her. "What were you and Missy's mom talking about?" the Jigglypuff innocently inquired.

"Nothing, nothing... a-anyway, you two need something?"

"No."

"Then go play until lunch."

The two shrugged and walked off. Yawning once more, she lobbed her head to the side, spotting Mewtwo still sitting at the table, a paper in hand. Eyes narrowing, she scooped up Iggly from the floor and entered the kitchen. He looked up the moment she paused before him. "_Who was that at the door?_"

"Mismagius dropped off Missy. Here," she just about plopped the baby into his arms, "watch the kids for a few hours. I'm taking a nap."

He raised a brow, peeking through the curtains. "_It is only nine o'clock._"

"You didn't take care of a sick baby all night."

The clone, despite thinking a retort to himself about her not having to sleep continuously on a hard bed, heard something was off in her voice when she spun around to leave. "_Did something happen?_"

"No," she grumbled.

He got out of the chair to catch her by the shoulder. "_You were at the door for a good few minutes. What were you two talking about?_"

She scowled. "Does it matter? It had nothing to do with you."

"_But it concerns me when my mate is involved._" Mewtwo gently stroked her cheek. "_What did she say to upset you?_"

Mew's face softened a little like she was going to answer, but she pushed his hand away. "Whatever. Watch the kids." She quickly disappeared around the corner, and the click of a closing door followed after.

He pulled back his arm, feeling confused. Dropping his gaze, he stared down at Iggly, who was busy making bubbles with his drool. "_You would not happen to know her issue, would you?_" he quietly sighed.

The baby only gurgled.

Mewtwo turned to fold up the paper for later reading to find it gone. Tilting his head in confusion, he bent down to check underneath the table. "_Odd... I swear I left it open on the table..._" Standing up, he entered the living room with a shrug. "_Well, it was not that important anyway._"

Anything to remind him to get a new hobby.

The psycat squeezed himself into a chair and proceeded to interact with the infant. While he mostly bounced him on one knee (lightly until he gave a burp that was just a false alarm), he aided him in walking around a few times on his lap, gently tickled him to get him to giggle, and tried to read to him only to give up half-way when he kept smacking and ripping the pages. He let him loose on the floor and sat there head in hand, staring at him with a bored, if not amused, expression on his face.

An urgent thought came to mind, causing him to slowly turn to the hallway. Brows furrowing, Mewtwo pushed himself up and cautiously approached the door leading into Jig's room. He paused before it for a moment before taking hold of the handle and opening it. While knowing earlier Missy was around, as he hadn't seen her, her presence was a bit of a surprise to him. The girls were sitting in the middle of the room, eyes on him the entire time like they knew he had been standing outside. In front of them were a pile of sticks and the shredded newspaper, a matchbox in the Misdreavus' locks.

He quickly swiped it away from her. "_What are you two doing?_" he shouted, the developing anger in his voice making him wince.

The Jigglypuff's answer was simple and unhesitant. "Making a campfire."

He nearly sputtered in response. "_Why are you making a fire?_"

"Missy and I are having a pretend campout."

"_Pretend with something else!_" Mewtwo took a deep breath to try calming himself down. He looked up to find the window open, which explained how they were able to get sticks without him knowing. "_Pretend... that there **is** a fire here, or use colored paper or something._"

"Then could we set it on fire?"

"_No! G..._" He sighed, shaking his head."_Go to the front room where I can see you,_" he ordered, pointing out the door. They obeyed, stepping out without a complaint or mismatched look. Matchbox still in hand, he closed the windowsill and left to check Lyle's room. He found him sitting on his bed with a book in hand where he glanced at him quizzically. A corner of his mouth curling in an awkward smile, he left him be and followed after the girls. The two were standing over Iggly, Missy whispering in Jig's ear as she nodded. Mewtwo raised a brow when he passed by to place the matches in a higher and safer place in the kitchen.

"Mister Mewtwo?" came the Jigglypuff's voice from behind.

He turned and folded his arms. "_Yes, Jig?_"

"Missy and me would like to play a board game," she said, hands behind her. The ghost smiled in agreement.

He glanced over at Missy. "_Why are you not speaking up?_" he questioned her.

"Missy's shy."

Mewtwo held back a laugh. "_I have heard her speak before. She is rather talkative._"

"When she wants to be." Jig paused, wriggling in place. "So... can we play a board game?"

He waved out to the main room. "_Go ahead, I am not stopping you._"

"We don't wanna play those ones. I told her there's one in the guest room, but Missus Mew is having her 'privessy'."

"_She is taking a nap._"

Jig frowned. "Can't you go in and get the game for us?"

He massaged his brows. He wasn't getting anywhere with her. "_May I have the name?_"

"It's the only one in the closet. Can't miss it."

They stared at each other unblinkingly for a few moments. Mewtwo's eyes narrowed a little in uncertainty, attempting to peek into her thoughts to find he was having a hard time doing so. With a quick glance at the Misdreavus, he let out a low breath. "_I suppose as long as you watch Iggly._"

The girls grinned at the same time, which weirded him out.

He took his time going into the room, creeping backward toward the door with his focus on the children. They never once looked away from one another, sending a suspicious chill up his spine. He blindly reached for the knob and entered the dark bedroom. It wasn't until the sight of them was obscured by the wall before he turned to look ahead. Mewtwo side-stepped to avoid smacking his shin against the bed, then the sight of his sleeping mate distracted him. She lay somewhat stiffly on her back, lips slightly parted and brows loosely furrowed. A smile found a way to his face the longer he kept his eyes on her. Reaching the closet, he quietly slid it open.

"_Augh!_"

A rubber boxing glove sprang out from a shelf directly into his jaw, throwing him backward where he half-landed on the bed. Mew shot straight up with a sharp gasp, clutching the covers close to her chest. "Oh, God! M-Mewtwo, what are you doing?"

"_I am __**so**__ disciplining those children!_" he snarled as he grasped his jaw with a groan, half-aware she got woken up.

Getting further out of bed, she saw the object roll a little on the floor. "A... Lucky Punch?" She jumped when the door slammed, staring in wide-eyed puzzlement at it. "Wha...?"

Once he was sure his lower face was only bruised, he stood up and stumbled to the exit, grabbing hold of the knob. When it didn't budge, the clone growled, a vein throbbing in his temple. "_Those brats!_"

"Mewtwo, what's going on?" Mew inquired, switching to sitting on her knees. "Why was there a Lucky Punch in the closet?"

"_That is what __**I**__ like to know._" He gestured to her to remain on the bed, and in a flash, teleported himself out in the hallway. He swerved his glare toward the main room where he could hear the girls giggling. "_You two have a lot of explaining to do!_" he yelled out to them, fumbling with the lock. He let out a harsh breath when he unlocked the door and shoved it open.

He tensed from shock and anger when water enveloped him, a bucket landing on his head at an angle. Mew immediately got up to tend to her mate, feeling his body quake in rage. Pushing the item off, she slightly recoiled at the pulsating glow in his eyes. Scowling, she slipped out to the front room, hands on her hips. The girls were playing with blocks rather innocently as they looked up at her.

Jig blinked. "Missus Mew, what happened?" she asked, a hint of a smile in her voice.

"You tell me," she coolly demanded, feeling a brow twitch. She tried to keep an expression of disapproval on her face despite how unnatural it felt. "First off, I want to know what a Lucky Punch was doing in the closet. You could hurt someone. Mewtwo was only bruised, but he could've been seriously injured with that item."

Jig and Missy maintained eye-contact with her. "What's a Lucky Punch?"

Mew continued on, beginning to feel her patience being tested. "Second, why did you two lock the door, and why did you set a booby trap on said door? Again, you could've _hurt_ someone."

"What are you talki—" the Jigglypuff began to say until the feline cut her off.

"I want to hear _Missy's _explanation this time." She darted her leer to the Misdreavus. "What were you thinking?"

Missy slowly opened her mouth to speak when a small wail intervened. They looked around for the source until Mew gasped upon seeing Iggly with his head under the chair, his pudgy feet shuffling around. She immediately lifted the furniture up to free him, cradling him into her arms. "What were you doing under there?" she murmured to him, inspecting him for cuts or bruises.

Mewtwo stormed into the living room at that moment with clenched teeth, the pail and Lucky Punch in hand. He looked like he was about to explode. He approached the children and raised his free hand, though Mew stopped him where he stood. "Why was Iggly unattended?"

"_I told them to watch him while I went to get their damn board game!_" he boomed. The girls shrinking back was the reaction he was looking for, but he was too furious to notice, nor care. "_It was supposed to be for no more than thirty seconds!_"

"Then how come I found him stuck under the chair?"

"_He was __**what?**_"

She pointed at the piece of furniture. "He literally stuffed himself underneath it. I don't know if a toy is under there or what, but he could've suffocated."

The clone swiftly turned to the children. "_Did I, or did I not tell you to watch your little brother?_" he harshly questioned Jig.

She attempted to steady her shivering, averting her gaze. "Y... You did," she timidly said.

"_Then how does that explain him getting stuck?_"

"Well... M-Missy and me weren't paying attention—"

"_You deliberately disobeyed me!_"

"Mewtwo, calm down!" Mew interjected, pressing Iggly closer. "You're scaring them!"

"_They should be lucky that is all I am doing!_"

She glared from beneath her brows. "They are not your children to begin with," she whispered darkly. "And even _if_ they were, I would not allow you to lay a finger on them."

"_Then how the hell else are they supposed to learn?_"

"Mewtwo, control yourself!" she snapped, baring her teeth. "They are only _five,_ for God's sake! They are not meant to be, nor are they strong enough to handle your punishments, _which,_ I may add, you are still unstable for!"

"_It is __**not **__a punish—_"

"I don't want to hear it! Just because you're my mate doesn't mean I will tolerate this!" Mew, her face red from growing vexation, exhaled hard enough it would have been smoke if she were a Fire type. "I may not be against discipline, but if you are unable to control your temper and your strength at the same time, you have no right to spank them, even if they are your children." She wrapped her tail around the two, pulling them closer. "I will take care of this. I want you to take that pail," she nodded at it, "go out to the river, fill it to the brim, and soak your head in it. Rinse and repeat. Don't come back in until you've mellowed out."

The tense atmosphere stabilized while the two sneered at one another without breaking eye-contact. Jig and Missy huddled more into Mew, holding their breaths. Mewtwo's figure shook as he attempted to calm down, tightly gripping the bucket handle. Shooting his arm out, he dropped the items where he stood, and still facing his counterpart, stormed to the door, almost ripping it open. "_Even better,_" he slowly murmured, still with a hint of rage, "_I will go home. It was obvious I was never wanted in the __first place. Wigglytuff only asked __**you**__ to baby-sit the whole week. I came along because I was worried something would happen._" He leered at the children."_Perhaps I was wrong._" With a slight nod to Mew, he left, slamming the door shut.

It was nearly soundless except for their breathing and Iggly's tiny whimpers. The feline released her hold on the girls as she patted his back, her hardened stare drifting elsewhere, just barely catching a glimpse of Lyle slipping back into the hallway. Jig grabbed hold of the feline, the scare not wearing off. "M... Missus Mew?" she squeaked out. "Is... is he going to be okay?"

"Yeah... Iggly will be okay." She tussled with the infant's curls.

"Not Iggly, he can be dropped and turn out fine. I meant Mister Mewtwo."

Mew hugged the Igglybuff closer, letting out a slow sigh. "It's not his fault, kids. He's always been like that. I thought he mellowed out years ago."

"Is that why you don't have a baby?"

She hung her head, feeling a growing ache in her chest. "It's not that... he just doesn't know how to take care of children properly. It's not in his... nature..." She trailed off with a sigh. "Doesn't matter now. He's right, I'm the only reason why he tagged along. I tried to tell him what baby-sitting was like." A snort escaped as a small laugh. "I swear he's more stubborn than a Tauros. It takes a lot to change his mind. But..." Hoisting Iggly up over her shoulder, Mew's gaze turned slightly dreamy. "...he'll be back."

Her body relaxed when pudgy arms and locks of hair wrapped around her in a hug, the children nuzzling their faces into her back. "We're really sorry," Jig sniffled, the ghost nodding in agreement. "We just wanted to have fun."

She turned around to return the gesture, a tear slipping down her cheek. "You're forgiven... as long as you two learned your lessons."

"We did."

She kissed the top of their heads. "I hope so, or someone's grounded."

Igglybuff cooed in response, flapping his arms.

* * *

"_Damn it all,_" Mewtwo muttered the moment he reached the house and attempted to yank the door open. Having forgotten it was locked threw him off and nearly brought him to blasting it down. Not bothering to grab the key from its spot, he teleported inside, finding himself in the bedroom. With a huff, he laid down on the bed, massaging his temples.

He contemplated sleeping as he felt he needed it the most, but as time went on, he couldn't drift off. His angry thoughts and murmurs trailed off to give him room to think. Staring up at the ceiling, the clone kept returning to his reaction to Jig and Missy's prank (if that was what it was), and at Mew yelling at him about being unstable. That one part struck him more to the point it echoed in his head.

Exactly _how_ unstable was he? Was he only unstable when he was angry, or did it not matter? Was it the result of the imperfect cloning process? He knew he had problems, he wasn't entirely sure in what areas aside from being susceptible to uncontrollable rage—though he didn't know why he was mad at Jig and Missy for having matches in their possession to begin with, or if he really _was_ angry. Either way, it was the start of a destructive snowball where Mew had to quickly step in. Her own anger was more-or-less a blockade to stop him, or to direct his emotions elsewhere.

Mewtwo let out a small sigh, lobbing his head around to stare at her empty side of the bed. He reminisced back to a few days ago when he decided to help baby-sit without a second thought. Why exactly _did_ he agree? It wasn't to learn how to care for children, as much as that should be the most obvious reason. He was worried for her safety, but that was the only one he was willing to give verbally.

It was more out of fear than worry—fear of being left alone.

Normally, he'd scoff at the revelation, proclaiming he would do fine alone, but it was his biggest anxiety nearly since he was born. It was why he created the clones to begin with. Next to anger, it was perhaps his most earliest emotion he can recall. As much as he didn't mind being by himself (even while demanding at times to be left alone), there were nights it caught up to him and left him aching for companionship. He believed Mew sensed it, and was the main reason why she bothered hanging around him even at his worst.

It was hard accepting her as a friend at first, not willing to express his emotions. It took months for him to cease being awkward around her, which picked back up again for a bit when the two became mates. He soon realized most of what he did in his life was out of selfishness. Mew never once brought it up, though thinking back on it, the signs were there that she was saddened by it. The one decision he felt more shame towards was in the first months of them living together. As he was usually a nomad, he had to pick a more permanent spot rather quickly, so he settled for a mountainous cavern as their first home. It was a nice place with a beautiful view of a valley, but despite how much he tried to make it comfortable, Mew never truly was happy with it. She was always free-spirited and had a love for open space, and the cave made her feel trapped and sickly.

As much as he liked where they lived, out of fear she'd leave him for not being happy, Mewtwo spent long hours looking for a place to settle. There were nights he didn't return home to the point it once worried her sick. He at last would find the forest, and pin-pointed the spot with open areas, sunlight, and (later) good neighbors. For days afterward, much to her confusion, he got up early in the morning to build themselves a shelter, and returned mid-way through dinner. He wished to keep it a secret until it was finished, but she had followed him and broke down in tears of joy at what she believed was a selfless act, then worked alongside him. Slowly but surely, her complexion returned, and they lived in the house ever since.

Since then, he watched his actions, judging when he was acting generous, or selfish. He never told Mew his true reasons for moving, always insisting it was for her happiness and not because he didn't want to be alone again. So to have her out of the house for what seemed like a long period of time worried him. He had no problem with her being out for several hours, as she returned home every night. While he had been finding himself growing fond of the children, he had been basically putting up a show to impress Mew and perhaps be rewarded for it in the end.

Which, he (shamefully) admitted to himself, was the biggest disappointment to know their schedule was postponed for a week.

Mewtwo covered his eyes with a moan. "_I am such a selfish bastard,_" he berated himself, shaking his head. "_Damn it, Mew, why do you not bring these things to attention?_"

Sighing heavily, he stared up at the ceiling for a few moments. _Well,_ he thought, _I need to do something to remedy this. _He paused. _And to temporarily push away my reasoning for it._

* * *

"Is that so..."

"Yeah," the rosy cat sighed, lifting the cup to her lips for a quick gulp. "I should've seen it coming."

Mismagius waved a tassel, rolling her eyes. "It's not your fault. It's like you said, that's just who he is. That's the difference between our mates... ex-mate for me. Mewtwo should be counting his lucky stars. Honestly, from all I've learned, if I had someone like him, I'd have bitten his head off. Really."

Mew cracked a smile. "Guess I bit his head off figuratively, then?"

"He had it coming, honestly." The specter looked over at her laughing daughter as she tickled the Igglybuff. "Same with Missy, though with her, it'll take a lot of outbursts before she straightens out."

"I'm sure she learned her lesson."

"You haven't been around her long," she whispered, a small grimace on her mouth. "But, I love her anyway." She shot her friend a sly smirk. "I'm sure that if your children act just like her, Mewtwo will still love them."

"I'm praying extra hard for that."

They giggled and finished up their tea. "Well, we overstayed a little _too _long than normal, so we must be going," Mismagius announced loud enough for Missy to hear. "Thanks for the tea, Mew. Sorry I didn't leave enough for Mewtwo."

"He doesn't drink tea anyway."

"Good to know. Miss, let's get going!" she repeated.

The Misdreavus sulked, but lifted herself up and swirled her dress around in a wave. Jig waved back. "Bye-bye, Missy! See you next week!"

Mew opened the door for them, then did a take when she spotted a familiar figure down the path. Her heart was lifted of a burden, bringing a bright smile to her face. "Mewtwo, you're just in time!" she called out.

They could just see him lift a hand in response. "We were spreading lies about you!" Mismagius snickered, earning a look from the feline.

Mewtwo paused some feet away, arms folded and eyes lenient. Cautiously, Mew floated up to him. "You changed your mind, I see."

He shrugged a little. "_I needed to cool off like you said._"

"You sure you cooled off all the way?"

"_Not... entirely. But enough that I felt I needed to come back,_" he added when she was about to protest. Looking over her shoulder, he nodded at the purple specter, and gave Jig a little wave. His vision froze on Missy, a frown slowly molding into view.

The young ghost hung her head in shame, briefly gazing up at her mother. When she gave a curt nod, Missy gingerly made her way up to him, avoiding meeting his stare. Mew stood by on alert, watching her face transition between faltering and relaxing every few seconds. After some thought, she took in a breath and looked him straight on, her crimson eyes sincere. "I'm sorry," was all she could say.

Mewtwo's shoulders dropped a little, his stance loosening up. Carefully studying her face, his eyes lightened and a smile formed. "_You are forgiven. And I am sorry for yelling at you and Jig._" He noticed Mew let out a breath at the apology.

A toothy grin spread on her face, and she leaned in and pressed her lips to his cheek with a loud smack. He flustered and felt his body ruffle up, suddenly finding himself nigh immoveable. Missy giggled, bowed gratefully to Mew, and returned to her parent. Mismagius smiled and nuzzled her, then waved to the couple and the children inside before wrapping herself and her daughter up in her cloak to vanish in thin air.

She turned to her mate, trailing her gaze along his posture. "You okay, dear?"

His fingers and tip of his tail twitched. "_I... I think she somehow pa... paralyzed me..._" he moaned out, then fell over.

"Or you may just be confused... maybe both."

From the entryway, Jig leaned against the frame as she laughed. Lyle, who had exited his room when he heard Missy was leaving and had watched from the front room, smiled at the sight. Neither Mew nor Mewtwo seemed to notice as the tiny feline began to revive him. "_Mew... I apologize for what I did._"

"Don't apologize to me, I understood everything fine." She helped get him to sit up. "It's the children you need to ask forgiveness for."

His head dropped onto his chest in the middle of a nod, promptly bringing out a giggle from his mate, and a small one from Jig. Mew looked up to find the children standing there, and gestured them on out. The young Jigglypuff ran over almost immediately, while Lyle first picked up Iggly. Once they had gathered around, she nudged Mewtwo in the side.

He groaned a little, fighting against the paralysis to look up at them. He spotted Jig almost immediately, detecting a hint of hurt in her eyes. "_Jig... I know you may have already forgiven me, or even brushed __off what happened... but I am very sorry for yelling at you and Missy._"

She hung her head a little. "I'm more sorry for dropping a bucket on you, and punching you with the Lucky Punch, and locking you in the room, and lying. And, uh... playing with matches."

Mewtwo cracked a smile. "_I forgive you._"

She swerved her gaze up. "Does that mean I can play with matches again?"

"_No._"

"Okay..." She slumped.

He looked over at Lyle even though he didn't meet his gaze. "_Something troubling you, Lyle?_"

The boy shrugged slightly, refusing to look up. "Not really..."

"_Do not lie to me, Lyle. I can feel you are upset about something._"

Scrunching his eyes shut, the Jigglypuff hid himself behind Iggly, his voice muffled against his back.

"Speak up, Lyle," Mew told him. "We can't hear you. In fact..." She reached out to take the baby from him. "Okay. Go ahead."

Lyle shuddered, forcing himself to look at Mewtwo. "Y... You're scary when you're angry."

He expected such an answer, but it still sharply pierced him to hear it from a young child. His mate placed a hand on his shoulder when he started shaking, and he had to breathe to relax his body. "_I know I am,_" he murmured. "_I was a very angry person for a long time. Once I discovered peace, I despised my angry self, and hoped to never reach those levels again. Unfortunately, anger is a part of me, it is in my genes._" Mew's paw squeezed at the sentence. "_Luckily for you, Jig and Missy, the nasty part of me did not show itself. I would have been more ashamed had it happened._"

Slowly, he reached his hand out to buck his chin up. "_So it is okay, Lyle. I will not get angry anymore._"

He sniffed, his lips quivering. "Promise?"

"_I promise._"

Lyle curled two of Mewtwo's fingers, and wrapped a pudgy hand around the digit to shake it. "Pinky promise."

He stared at the gesture for a moment, then turned to Mew questionably. She only smiled and gave a nod. Looking back at the boy, he returned the smile and shook once as well. "_Pinky promise._"

* * *

Compared to Missy, Lyle's friends weren't bad in the least. Mewtwo and Mew were caught off-guard at how many of the neighborhood boys came to fetch him for softball the following morning, so for most of Thursday, they spent it outside despite the summer sun. The clone had to remind himself he was supervising the children and not discovering how the game worked (hard as it was), in particular during those moments where his mate had to take Iggly back inside for various reasons. Then he had to make sure he remained awake the whole time, though he was certain he dozed off for what might have been a few minutes once. And while they weren't required to feed the kids, according to Lyle, they crowded the kitchen for drinks and nearly pushed them into a corner. When they went back outside, it was as though they remembered to breathe.

"Make a mental note not to let crowds like this in the house at any cost," Mew stated to her mate with a huff. "God, I hope we only get girls."

Mewtwo wanted to speak out several reasons about why it wasn't a good idea, but kept his mouth shut.

On Friday, they met some of the boys again when they took Lyle and Jig for their swimming lessons at the near-by lake. They sat back with the other parents (where some immediately began making small talk with Mew) and watched with what felt like pride as the children lapped around their respective tracks, taking all they had learned and putting it into use during their races. To Mewtwo, it was an interesting hour observing young non-Water Pokémon swim and dive like it was natural—some of them had more trouble than others, he noticed, but they did fine. He began to imagine Iggly practicing when he got older, though he was certain his body, just like with Jig and Lyle, was buoyant enough he could float.

Not that he would dare test it out; Mew would kill him if he did.

Anytime during those two days, from morning to night, the children told stories about what went on that day or anything from the past that they felt was worth bringing up. The bickering, while it was still abundant, wasn't as harsh as it was. The clone had a feeling they learned their lesson, or at least didn't want another outburst from him. That moment continued to replay in his mind, reminding him of how much he still needed to learn. He tried to make it up by being more active with the children, attempting to learn and get to know them better. By then, he had stopped counting down the hours and days when Wigglytuff and her mate would return. Instead, he secretly hoped they would be delayed a little longer.

"You're looking a little more cheerful," Mew noted with approval that Friday night as they prepared for bed.

Mewtwo held his head up a little higher, inhaling deeply. "_I hope so. It was an interesting day, today._"

"Oh?" A smile quirked on her lips. "How so?"

"_At just how the children were so enthusiastic about the day. It is like they wake up each morning, and say to themselves: 'Today is going to be a good day.'_" He turned to her, eyes glinting knowingly in the moonlight. "_Get what I am saying?_"

"That didn't _really_ answer my question..." She trailed off, floating up to place her hands on his chest. "But I do, as I tell myself that every day. I'm a bit surprised you don't."

"_I have something better, actually._"

Mew's smile softened, bumping her nose to his. "And that is?"

His hands gently covered her tiny paws. "_I tell myself: 'Today, I am doing it for her.'_"

A giggle escaped her lips as a blush rose to her cheeks. "It's cheesy... but that is better."

"_It is the truth._"

She laughed again. "I believe you." Cupping his face, she gave him a soft kiss, smiling when he returned it. "Sleep well, dear," she murmured. "Tomorrow's the final day. And then we'll be home." She gave him a squeeze around the torso. "I'm so proud of you, Mewtwo. Even with a few bumps, you've done well."

The news excited him, but at the same time, he was saddened by it. Even while knowing he would see them from time to time, he felt in his heart he was going to miss the children. They had grown on him, and though he hadn't seen them as his own, he wished they were. He wondered if the urge would be stronger had he done more than he did.

Mew pulled back with concern when he tensed up, her ears drooping. "You all right, hon?"

Mewtwo brought himself to nod. "_Yeah... I will get over it..._"

"...oh..."

The small sound of a door opening got their attention, watching as Jig trudged out of her room with a solemn expression on her face. She looked up where she stood, revealing wide, teary eyes. Releasing her counterpart, Mew flew over to her level. "What's wrong, Jig?" she softly asked, patting her curls.

She sniffled and shivered. "I-I had a bad dream about... Mama and Papa..."

Mewtwo's heart sank, silently praying it was only a nightmare and that she wasn't secretly psychic. Taking a hand, the rosy feline gently led the child into their room, glancing up at him. "We're letting her stay here tonight. Is that okay?"

He momentarily nodded. "_I see nothing wrong about it._"

Jig wiped at an eye, lowering her gaze. "Mama and Papa... they're coming back tomorrow, right?"

Mew hugged her, lifting her onto the bed. "Whatever your nightmare told you, Jig, it's not real. They'll return tomorrow as promised, if not Sunday."

She whimpered a little. "I hope so..."

After looking at one another, Mewtwo placed a hand on her head in comfort. Jig let out a small gasp when she turned to him. "_Wherever they are, Jig,_" he started,"_when they wake up in the morning, you, Lyle and Iggly will be the first thing on their minds. 'Today, I am doing it for them.' That is what they will say. And they will come home safe for you._"

She blinked up at him, and slowly she nodded. "I get it."

Smiling at the two of them, Mew kissed her forehead. "Let's have a good night's sleep. We need to be refreshed for them."

Jig bounced to her feet. "Yeah!" She rolled over to the middle, and snuggled into the covers, watching as they climbed in on either side. "Oh yeah, do any of you snore?"

"_Not that I know of,_" the clone said, turning to lay on his side.

"I sure don't, but Mewtwo does." His mate grinned mischievously at him when he gaped at her in disbelief. "Well, you do! But it's a nice snore, don't you worry. Why do you ask, Jig?"

"`Cause Mama snores. `Night!" And she fell back onto a pillow, falling right asleep.

With a small laugh each, the two carefully leaned over her to plant a quick kiss on each other's lips, then made themselves comfortable, Mew wrapping an arm around Jig. She was the first to drift off, whilst Mewtwo kept himself awake a little longer, taking into memory the peaceful scene laying before him.

He wished it truly was his to cherish.

* * *

Saturday morning was going by slowly, almost like it wanted to prolong the stay a while longer. The children weren't complaining about trivial things at the table, nor even brought up their parents' return. Only Iggly made happy squeals, and ate without problems, much to the relief of Mew. Mewtwo took his time with breakfast, savoring the quiet atmosphere, yet wishing Jig and Lyle would briefly argue. Each time he looked at the bag resting by the door, however, the urge for home grew.

"Missus Mew, will you be coming back to watch us soon?" Jig asked, a sad tone in her voice.

"Maybe," she answered, brushing the infant's curls with her fingers. "It just depends."

"Will you stay a whole `nother week?"

"Again, maybe."

Lyle turned to Mewtwo. "You know, I never played softball with you. Do you even know how?"

"_I do not know. It was enjoyable watching you and your friends play, though._"

He got a determined look on his face. "Next time, we're playing! Got it?"

The clone lightly laughed. "_Sure._" At the corner of his eye, he caught Mew shooting him a smile.

Though Jig begged to play outside, they remained indoors so they could greet their parents, which Mewtwo had a feeling they were returning home earlier. Wigglytuff and her mate were supposed to be expected later that afternoon, yet he was certain they were close by.

Just as he thought, while they were finishing up their last game together, there came a muffled conversation beyond the wood, alerting the children. "Mama! Papa!" the daughter squealed, hopping to her feet and grinning happily. Her brother too stood up, waiting excitedly in place. Mew picked up Iggly, cooing to him about his parents, while Mewtwo put away the game.

When the door opened, the father was pounced on by Jig and barely caught the bags he was carrying. His mate came around from behind, putting down the one case she had to wrap her daughter up in a hug. "Oh, hello-o-o, my Jig!" she cried out, kissing her cheek. "Were you a good girl?"

"Mama, Mama, I had so much fun!" the Jigglypuff kept chanting, nuzzling against her.

"What about you, Lyle?" Wigglytuff spread an arm out for her son.

He nodded, inching into her hold. "Yeah, I was good."

Mew came forward with the baby. "Welcome back, Wigs. Did you two have a good time?"

"It was until yesterday." She stuck her tongue out cheekily. "The weather got nasty."

"Oh, sorry to hear that."

"Don't worry about it. And how's Iggly?" Wigglytuff tickled his belly, grinning at his giggles.

"_So_ much better than Monday." The feline handed him over, which Mewtwo noted was a hesitant move. "I gave him the medicine this morning just in case anyway, but he hasn't thrown up lately."

The rabbit sighed happily. "Thank you so much, Mew. You and Mewtwo did an awesome job, especially in keeping the house clean." She tip-toed for a better look, moving her head to-and-fro.

"We had fun, and enjoyed it very much," Mew reported, her chest feeling a little light. "Isn't that right, kids?"

"Missus Mew and Mister Mewtwo were good to us!" Jig piped up, spinning around on a foot. "I stayed with them last night!"

Wigglytuff patted her curl. "Were you and Missy well-behaved?"

Mewtwo, whom was remaining silent during the greeting, shifted uncomfortably, wondering if he should tell them. He looked over to his counterpart, silently asking her if it was appropriate or not. Her face had fallen for a brief moment when they locked eyes until she took a breath. "They weren't _too_ bad, but... Mewtwo's patience was tested quite a bit."

Glancing warily down at her daughter, Wigglytuff said, "Did something happen?"

Mew tilted her hand back and forth. "It was resolved in the end, but at least it didn't get messy. As you can see, he's still here, so it wasn't enough to chase him away." She brought herself to giggle.

Nodding her head in understanding, the rabbit gave the clone a knowing look, yet had on a small smile. "Good to hear. See, I knew you two could do it!"

A tug on his tail distracted Mewtwo. Lyle stared up at him, looking like he wanted to say something. "_Go ahead, Lyle. What is it you need?_"

He shuffled his foot around. "Is it okay if I go through your hoop... thingy?" he inquired, almost shyly. "I never got to do it."

Jig came into the picture. "Me, me, me!"

Mewtwo chuckled, and knelt down. "_Alright, you two. Make it quick, okay?_"

They cheered and bounced around until they inflated themselves to float. It took a few moments for Lyle to navigate himself through the air and directly through the opening, where he let out a cheer as he deflated. Jig struggled to keep a straight line, though with his help, she made it through and landed on her brother. She let out a whoop rolling off him. "That was fun!"

Wigglytuff, her mate, and Mew clapped their hands, the feline sending him a loving, proud gaze. Feeling heat rise to his face, he stood up, and grabbed the duffel bag. "_We must be going, dear._"

"Aww, right now?" she feigned a whine, reaching out for Iggly and kissing his cheek. "Good-bye, Iggly. I'll see you later."

He burped in response.

His mother chortled. "Well that was charming."

Mew fluffed up his curl, then turned to the two Jigglypuff. "Good-bye, Jig, Lyle. You two be good, okay?"

"We always are!" the middle child grinned, eyes twinkling. "I'm gonna miss you and Mister Mewtwo, though."

"You'll still see me around."

"You'll continue baby-sitting us, right?" Lyle wondered.

"Until your mother forbids it."

"Mama, don't do it!" Jig wailed, tightly hugging Mew.

Wigglytuff laughed. "Don't worry, I have no vendettas with her."

The children stared up at her. "Eh?"

"We don't hate each other."

They "ooh"ed and turned to Mewtwo, giving him a hug around the legs much to his surprise. "Bye-bye, Mister Mewtwo!" they shouted in unison, waving up to him.

He felt like his heart was beginning to break, yet it warmed up all at once. He lowered his tail down to their reach, lightly bumping them with it until they hugged it. "_See you around, Jig, Lyle,_" he softly whispered, a lump rising in his throat.

Once they released him, he nodded to Wigglytuff and her mate as he stepped out the door, then turned around to pat the baby on the head. Iggly squeaked and grabbed a finger to suck on it. Mewtwo would normally recoil his hand away in disgust, but just this once, he allowed the child to do what he wanted. After he dropped it back to his side, when no one was looking, he hurriedly wiped the drool off with a leaf he plucked from the nearby tree.

With one last farewell to the children, and a hug between friends, Mew joined her mate with a wave, and they walked down the path for their house. Jig and Lyle called out good-byes until they were too far away to hear, and then faced forward. The tiny feline sighed, half in relief, and half in sadness. "That was a fun and interesting week, wasn't it?"

The clone nodded, coiling his arm around her shoulders. He ignored the twitch in his fingers. "_Indeed. I enjoyed it, even with the problems._"

"You willing to watch them again if the need ever arises?"

"_I am._" He paused to dwell on a question. "_Is... is it right for me to wish they were our own children?_"

With the slight droop of the ears, Mew thought on it. "Honestly, I wished for that, too. But I feel like that every time I watch someone's child anyway." She mewled a little, glancing behind her to find the house was nearly gone from view. "I'm sure... one day we will have a child of our own to love."

"_Hmm..._"

She then noticed there was something off about Mewtwo's stance. His movements looked a little jerky, he kept turning his head to look behind, his fingers twitched on her shoulder, and sweat formed on his brow. "Are you okay, dear?"

He nodded quickly, putting on a convincing, albeit sad smile. "_Yes... I am just a little disappointed. I am going to miss them._"

Her heart felt a little lighter at his comment, though she still questioned his body language. "You excited for something or what?" When he didn't respond, she gently took his hand to intertwine their fingers. "Don't worry, Mewtwo, I'm sure there will be more opportunities to... is something wrong?"

His body tensed up the moment she held his hand, bringing him to a halt. Mew stared at him in confusion, unsure what to do. Knitting her brows, she gently reached up to stroke his jaw. "Honey? What's the matter?"

The bag dropped with a thump, startling her into pulling away. She then let out a gasp when he clutched her shoulders, feeling the air move past her as he quickly moved them deep into the shade. Her breath was knocked out of her when her back slammed into a trunk, and Mewtwo crushed his lips to hers, cutting into them for a hard kiss. She whimpered when he further pinned her to the tree with his chest, sensually rubbing his body against hers.

Grabbing hold of his face, she pulled him off for air. "Mewtwo, what are you thinking?" she panted out, heat rising to her cheeks. "We're not even half-way home, and already you're doing this! And without _resting_, to boot!"

The clone roughly breathed for a few moments, blinking down at their postures. "_S... Sorry... I lost control of myself there for a second._"

She wriggled herself off the trunk, her spine tingling. "What _was_ that for, Mewtwo? Or do you not know either?"

He swallowed down a lump, biting his lip. "_I... er... well, you probably will not believe me._"

Mew raised a skeptical brow. "Oh, really? But will it explain why am I up against a tree?"

He shamefully hung his head. "_I-I... have been holding it in for the last few days..._"

The feline held herself when she shivered, feeling she knew what he meant. "Is it something serious?" she whispered.

"_I hope not, but I do not know if it is normal, either._" Mewtwo met her anxious gaze, his fingers tightening their hold on her shoulders. "_We stepped out of our schedule to baby-sit, and it irritated me._"

She blinked, slowly raising a hand to scratch her ear. "Oh... I see..." She trailed off for a second. "Then again, I should have seen it coming." Her blush darkened. "Though it's an odd case of sexual frustration..."

He cleared his throat, slowly prying himself away. "_I am so sorry, Mew... That was very inappropriate of me to force myself on you._"

"You should've said something." Mew held her arms across her chest, looking away in embarrassment. "Mewtwo... don't be afraid next time to let me know of these things. Even if it's a rather selfish act for thinking about your own needs, come talk to me. We can find a way to solve it together." She gazed back up at him, dreamy expression on her face. "Okay?"

Mewtwo smiled down at her, leaning his forehead to hers. "_I promise._"

With a small, fluttery sigh, Mew gingerly slid her hands around his neck. "D... Do you want to start over properly now, or wait until we get home?"

He blinked down at her red face in surprise. "_You sure?_"

She nodded a little. "Either way, we're alone right now. If we do it here, I don't think we'll be seen as long as we're quiet."

He started feeling guilty for pushing himself on her like he did, but he shivered with want when her tail fell around his waist. Hesitantly, he rubbed his knuckles on her cheek. "_If you say so, Mew._"

Leaning into his palm, she gently kissed his lips. Taking in breaths, Mewtwo bent his neck a little, snaking his arms along her back to press her closer. Mew softly moaned when he moved for her throat, throwing her head back to give him room. As he lowered himself, he carefully led her back to the tree, caressing his lips and hands along her torso until she squirmed, wanting him back. She clawed at his shoulder blades as their bodies compressed together, his hand dropping to her thigh that was squeezing his side. A gasp of pleasure escaped her when he licked her neck, burying her face into his clavicle and breathing in his scent.

Then she froze when she crossed visions with a shocked Mismagius and a confused Missy.

The witch nervously rubbed her temple with a tassel, pulling her daughter behind her. "P-Pardon us, Mew, we did not see anything." She flinched when Mewtwo quickly stepped aside, staring wide-eyed at her. "Um... I saw a bag in the middle of the road and figured it was yours, since the path leads to Wigglytuff's house. So I was looking for you."

Mew gulped, then gave an uneasy laugh. "Oh, yeah... thanks for being concerned. Um..." Furiously blushing, she glimpsed between her friend and Mewtwo for a moment before slapping his face. "You should know better!" she yelled, though it was hard to when he shot her a puzzled look. Digging her claws into his hand, she yanked him away and headed back to the path, nodding curtly at Mismagius doing so. She psychically lifted the bag upon passing it, and wordlessly, she led the entire way back to the house where she released him to grab the key from its hiding spot.

Having kept silent the whole time, her mate finally spit out a question, trying not to raise his voice. "_Mew, what the hell was that for?_"

She ignored him and grabbed the doorknob. "Dammit," she hissed, sticking the key back into the lock again. "You left the door unlocked." Shoving it open, she roughly tossed both the bag and Mewtwo inside before slamming it shut.

"_Mew, why did you do that?_" he exclaimed, spinning around to face her. "_What possessed you to do that?_"

Mew swerved to glare at him. "Why couldn't you have waited until we got home? That was embarrassing, Mewtwo!"

"_My reputation is just as bruised, Mew!_" he shouted back. "_And you agreed to it!_"

"And _who's_ to blame for this?"

"_Then why did you slap me back there?_"

"I don't know! I had to think of something!" She clenched her hands tightly and shut her eyes, trying to take deep breaths to calm herself down. "I-I had to make it convincing is all!"

He rubbed his marked cheek with a scowl. "_You could have just yelled at me for a minute._"

Mew huffed and went to sit on the couch. "Missy is not going to see us the same way again," she groaned.

"_**Missy**__ was there?_"

"You didn't see her? Oh, whatever," she sighed, waving a hand in exhaustion. "We need to find a way to control your addiction."

Mewtwo moved to sit next to her until the word made him pause. "_An addiction?_" he repeated incredulously.

She nodded. "I think you're addicted."

He crossed his arms. "_To what, exactly?_"

She counted off on her fingers. "Kissing, sex, body contact, sleeping... sex..."

He fought back the urge to slap his forehead. "_That is __**not**__ true, Mew._"

"It seems that way to me." Slyly smirking, Mew reclined onto her elbows by the armrest, teasingly raising a brow as she gestured to herself. "I bet this triggers it."

The clone flushed. "_Mew, are you trying to seduce me?_"

She giggled a little, bending a leg. "Why would I seduce my own mate? We know each other well enough."

Mewtwo rubbed his neck, glancing away. "_Mew, I have no addiction to you._"

"You act like you are. Convince me to forgive your behavior back there, and I'll stop calling you an addict."

He inhaled deeply as he sat down beside her, still averting his eyes. They remained there in silence as he thought about what to say. "_Mew... darling... do you happen to know why I went ahead to tag along?_" he quietly asked.

She sat up a little straighter. "I have a few guesses." When he didn't speak up after the pause, she resumed. "I first thought you showed interest in helping take care of children, which made me wonder if it meant we were ready for our own." She took notice of his trembling, but said nor did nothing about it. "In the end, I could tell you didn't want to leave, but I take it that wasn't the reason why you went."

He shook his head slowly.

"Monday night, I remembered that it was originally supposed to be our night together, but we were unable to do it because we weren't at home. It made me wonder if that was the case, it was just the idea was too obvious and it doesn't fit your character. Then... I figured it was because you were worried about me like you said. You wished to keep an eye on me. That went out the window when you barged out of the house." Her ears lowered at the memory.

"_Anything else?_" he murmured.

"No... so what was it, then?"

Mewtwo hesitantly turned to her, his soft eyes pricking her heart and giving her the silent answer. Frowning, she scooted over to his side, wrapping her arms around his torso. He hugged her close, closing his eyes at her gentle touch and voice. "I never knew... I thought you had gotten over it."

"_I thought so, too. It must be deeper than what my conscious is aware of._"

Mew skimmed her fingers along his back. "While it does not explain your brief wild behavior, everything makes more sense." She gazed up at him. "That is why you came back, right?"

"_Aside from a guilty conscious, yes._"

With a tearful smile, she lifted herself up closer to eye-level, curling around his neck and nuzzling his jawbone. "I had already forgiven you at Wigglytuff's, so I'll forgive you for what you did outside. And... I'm sorry for slapping you."

"_Apology accepted._" He kissed the top of her head. "_It is much more understandable now._"

Mew pulled back to look him in the eye. "Make-up sex?"

He chuckled. "_I do not know if it truly applies here, but... sure, why not?_" Tenderly, he laid her down on the couch, pressing their foreheads together as their tails tangled. "_Is there anything special you want to do?_"

"Not really. Can't be rough, though, what with the little space we have." She smacked her hand against the back, and the armrest to prove her point.

He nodded in understanding, then closed the gap between their lips.

There was a knock at that moment, causing Mew to nervously push him back harder than normal. She grinned awkwardly at him, and hurried to the door. Standing outside was a female Raichu, her ears perking at the sight of her. "Hello, Mew, glad you're home!"

She laughed a little, smoothing her hand across her forehead. "Rachelle, it's you!"

The rodent's brow rose suspiciously. "Were you... expecting anyone else?"

"Not really."

"I caught you at a bad time, didn't I?" she noted, spotting Mewtwo on the couch.

"We were just talking is all. Anyway," Mew waived off the subject, "did you need something?"

The Raichu put her hands together. "Are you available next week by any chance?"

Believing she knew what her request was, the feline looked over her shoulder and mused, "I don't believe there is anything going on." Her mate quickly thought on it, then shook his head. She turned back to her neighbor. "Nope."

She sighed in relief. "Oh, good. Rugby and I are thinking about going somewhere for a few days, and we need someone to watch the kids."

In the background, Mewtwo slipped in his seat, landing on his haunches with a yelp. Mew scratched at her ear with a nervous laugh. "Well, I _am_ the go-to person for this sort of thing."

Raichu frowned a little. "Oh, dear, I didn't know it bothered you so much."

"It's okay," she assured her with a wave. "I don't mind, I love kids, especially yours."

She rolled her eyes with a smirk. "Sure you do. So, will you baby-sit, or not?"

Mew glanced over at a hunched Mewtwo, unsure if her gaze was that of a plead, or of questioning. He was hesitant in responding, but he gave her a nod of approval. She smiled at the electric mouse. "We'll watch your children, Rachelle."

"Do you really want Mewtwo there? We don't have a big place."

"We'll manage. He was able to fit in Wigs' place."

Raichu bowed in thanks. "That's good to hear. I'll give Rugby the a-okay, then. Heaven knows he's 'excited'." She scoffed a little. "I swear he prefers the kids over me."

Mew patted her arm. "Maybe this vacation of yours will help."

"Maybe. Well," she straightened up, "I'll let you and Mewtwo return to whatever you were _talking_ about, and I'll keep you informed, `kay?" With a wink and a wave, she left.

The feline waited until she was over the hill before closing the door. "You sure you want to go, Mewtwo? Raichu's kids aren't like Wigglytuff's kids."

"_I can handle it,_" he said, still rubbing his sore area. Mew peeked back outside and locked the door to his bafflement. "_Why did you do that? It is not like people barge in and out of our house._"

"I know. Just doing it for extra security." She smiled, returning to her place in his arms. "Should we go back on the couch, or head for our room?"

Mewtwo grinned mischievously. "_Perhaps we can experiment elsewhere?_"

"Does it really matter at this point?" Mew sighed through her nose. "Well... since we have a whole week to ourselves again..."

He only kissed her in response.


End file.
